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| Features
| Rica Matsumoto Essays: Laugh & Peace
On May 3rd, 2024 , Japanese publisher Takarajimasha released the book Rica Matsumoto Essays: Laugh and Peace (松本梨香エッセイ 「ラフ＆ピース」) in Japan. The book is a collection of short essays written by voice actor / singer / stage actor Rica Matsumoto, who most Pocket Monsters fans will know as the voice of Satoshi from 1997 to 2023. Each essay has a theme, and Ms. Matsumoto uses the experiences she's had in her own life to help illustrate those themes.
Below is a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the book that includes chapter titles and brief descriptions. Translations to the Pokémon related chapters may be added in the future.
Note:
While Rica Matsumoto Essays: Laugh
& Peace is very much an autobiographical work, the stories
it tells are not presented in chronological order. Tying stories to the
theme of a particular chapter take precedence over telling events in
the order in which they happened and so don't be alarmed if, for
example, a family member who she talks about passing away in an earlier
chapter suddenly makes an appearance in a later one.
Pages 26 - 34
Rica Matsumoto walks us through her household makeup (mother, father, maternal grandparents, older sister, and older brother) and tells us about growing up in Yokohama. A love of after school sports activities helps the young Matsumoto burn off excess energy.
As dad liked to say, "The performing arts will save you" (「芸は身を助ける」という父の教え)
Pages 35 - 38
As a child, Ms. Matsumoto studied many different things including musical instruments, dance, and various forms of Japanese art. What starts out as playing around on a home karaoke machine soon turns into serious singing practice.
How dare you pick on my big bro! (あんちゃんをいじめるやつは許さない！)
Pages 38 - 42
Rica stands up to a girl and her older sister for bullying her brother with special needs. Winning the David vs Goliath encounter proves to Rica that good always triumphs over evil.
Pages 43 - 49
Rica Matsumoto thinks back on her mother and how she used her cooking to create a warm and inviting place in the neighborhood. A kimono found after her mother’s passing inspires Ms. Matsumoto to commission a recreation of the garment for a show in China.
Pages 50 - 57
Rica remembers her father, the head of a famous acting troupe. At the age of 17, Rica starts studying under him and soon learns he has no intention of going easy on her just because they're related.
Dad: An entertainer to the end (最期までエンターテイナーだった父)
Pages 57 - 61
Rica remembers her father and how he was always striving to entertain, even on his deathbed. Rica continues appearing in stage plays even after her father's passing.
My older sister: a person of strong character who's like a second mother (しっかり者で、お母さんのような姉)
Pages 61 - 66
Reminiscing about how her older sister was like a second mother to her prompts Ms. Matsumoto to realize just how big a role the family matriarch played in all of their lives. Her sister’s request to be alone after their mother’s passing shows just how much her sister endured for the sake of her siblings.
Pages 67 - 68
Rica’s high school teachers push her to pursue a career in acting rather than her first choice of being a P.E. teacher. After entering acting school Ms. Matsumoto meets an upperclassman named Koichi Yamadera.
The abrupt goodbye to my big bro (あんちゃんとの突然の別れ)
Pages 69 - 73
The sudden death of Rica’s brother sends shockwaves through the up-and-coming actor. Rica herself is hospitalized a short while later with a bad case of tuberculosis.
A new path found while in the face of death (人生の歧路に立ったときに見つけた新しい道)
Pages 74 - 82
During her half a year in the hospital Rica begins to think about going from stage acting to voice acting. Ms. Matsumoto eventually makes her voice acting debut in the show Shin Osomatsu-kun.
Pages 83 - 86
Rica Matsumoto makes an effort to help people whenever they appear to need it. A mother dealing with a crying baby on a bus provides Ms. Matsumoto with the perfect opportunity to fulfill this desire.
Isn't there anything I can do for children who are lonely? (寂しい子どもたちにしてあげられることはないか)
Pages 86 - 91
Stories about children being lonely because their single parents always work late prompts Rica to come out with a children's book. Yumeraccho! is eventually written, illustrated, sung, and narrated by Rica Matsumoto, all by herself.
Pages 92 - 105
In 2010 Rica Matsumoto starts up a charity called the “Manmaru Project” to help deliver smiles to people in need. A chance encounter with a dog named Manru provides the project with a fitting mascot.
Pages 108 - 113
On her very first day as a voice actor for Shin Osomatsu-kun, Rica gets a hard lesson on the differences between stage acting and voice acting. Her skill at ad-libbing lines enables her to give her role as Choromatsu a uniqueness that earns her praise from her new colleagues.
Taking voice acting as a job seriously for the first time (初めて声優という職業に真剣に向き合った)
Pages 113 - 117
While playing the lead role in Matchless Raijin-Oh, Rica Matsumoto struggles with whether or not she should take on other leading roles. The voice director of The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn, Koichi Chiba, gives Ms. Matsumoto advice that keeps her motivated to continue doing her best.
I felt like I was taken seriously as a leading voice actor (一丁前の声優になったと認められた気がした)
Pages 118 - 120
Rica Matsumoto gets a job on the 1995 series Ninku. The director likes the performance she gives during a sad scene so much that he makes the surprising decision to have his staff animate around Rica’s performance rather than have her do a retake.
Memories of retakes (リテイクの思い出)
Pages 120 - 121
Rica Matsumoto gets scolded during a recording session for Yu Yu Hakusho.
Taking on Bakura from You Inoue (井上瑤さんからのバクラのバトン)
Pages 121 - 123
Rica Matsumoto inherits the role of Rio Bakura in Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters after the death of his first voice actor, You Inoue. Bakura’s intensity puts a strain on Ms. Matsumoto’s vocal cords.
Pages 124-128
After Rica Matsumoto got the role of Satoshi in the Pocket Monsters animated series she was allowed to more or less be herself in the recording booth. A special pre-showing of the series’ first episode floods Ms. Matsumoto with all sorts of emotions.
Going double platinum (ダブルミリオンを達成)
Pages 128 - 131
The opening theme to the Pocket Monsters TV series, “Mezase Pokémon Master,” ends up selling over two million copies. Despite not making any royalties from the song Ms. Matsumoto is happy to have been such an integral part of a song loved by so many people.
Do it for the children affected by the Pokémon Shock (ポケモンショックで不安な子どもたたのために)
Pages 132 - 134
The airing of Pocket Monsters Episode 38 “Cyber Soldier Porygon” puts the show on a four month hiatus. During the break Ms. Matsumoto tries to persuade concert attendees not to forget about the adventures of Satoshi and Pikachu.
Pages 135 - 139
In addition to domestic cartoons, Rica Matsumoto starts to make a name for herself doing voice over work for foreign productions as well. Ms. Matsumoto becomes enthralled with the movie The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc and successfully campaigns to play Milla Jovovich’s part.
With dubbing, you can become characters from all walks of life (吹き替えは、さまざまな国のさまざまな人物になれる)
Pages 139 - 145
Rica Matsumoto reflects on dubbing over some of the most well respected actors in Hollywood for the Japanese dubs of foreign films.
Delivering lines as the "Soul of Language" (「言霊」として届ける)
Pages 145 - 147
Whenever Ms. Matsumoto gets scripts with the words “thank you” in them she looks up to heaven and focuses those words on her family. A scene during her run in the show Les Miserables leaves her soul feeling cleansed.
Pages 148 - 152
Ms. Matsumoto’s band mates encourage her to take the sadness from her mother’s death and channel that into new song lyrics. Using her real life sadness in her performance in The Juniper Tree or her real life common cold during a Ninku recording session show Ms. Matsumoto that every job can be an opportunity.
I have a loud voice that's even broken mics before... (声量が大きて、マイクが壊れたことも)
Pages 152 - 155
Ms. Matsumoto’s inability to give less than 100%, even during mic tests, puts a lot of stress on her vocal cords. The sound team forgetting to turn on her mic during a performance of Galaxy Express 999 The Musical means little as Ms. Matsumoto was able to project enough to be heard from the back rows.
Pages 156 - 159
A fight with writer Hideki Sonoda breaks out after Ms. Matsumoto is thought to have ad-libbed a bit too much. Ms. Matsumoto reflects on how sometimes having conflict with others can help make whatever it is you’re working on that much better.
Pages 160 - 163
Ms. Matsumoto’s father had a saying, “The stage is a place for fun, and scripts are the tools you use in that fun.” The new paper smell emanating from a freshly printed script fills the actor with excitement about what’s coming next.
Pages 166 - 169
Ms. Matsumoto loves to use puns to help break the ice with her younger co-workers. An ad-lib of a pun in an episode of Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger is well received.
Pages 170 - 173
The reduction in the frequency of after work events ever since COVID hit has also reduced the number of opportunities younger actors have to be able to learn from their elders. Ms. Matsumoto receives the gift of a recipe for a magic elixir that can restore your voice.
Pages 174 - 176
In the year 2000 Rica Matsumoto, Ichiro Mizuki, and Hironobu Kageyama found the Japan Animation-song Makers (JAM) Project super group. As the years go by Ms. Matsumoto starts to realize just how popular anime theme songs are becoming overseas.
The quick change disaster at the concert (ライブ中の早着替えでハプニング)
Pages 176 - 181
During a JAM Project performance Ms. Matsumoto runs backstage for a quick costume change at the wrong time, making her miss the intro to the next song in the lineup. Ms. Matsumoto loves the unpredictability live shows provide.
Pages 182 - 184
Ms. Matsumoto grew up near a shopping arcade and so she and her classmates would walk through it on their way to school everyday, greeting the various shopkeepers as they passed through. The friendly atmosphere and variety of shops offer Ms. Matsumoto a ton of valuable memories.
Put in charge of making the new theme song for the shopping arcade (商店街の新しいテーマソングを担当)
Pages 184 - 189
In February 2024 Ms. Matsumoto is put in charge of creating a new theme song for the shopping arcade, the first one commissioned for it in nearly 40 years! Ms. Matsumoto hopes younger generations will cherish the human to human interactions you can only get from shopping in person.
Pages 192 - 195
Ms. Matsumoto teaches a “Rica Matsumoto Class” at Yoyogi Animation Academy where she helps wannabe actors develop the skills they need to succeed in the industry. One of the first assignments she gives students is to write their own play from the ground up so that they can develop a better understanding of not just the acting jobs they’ll have to do, but also of everything else that leads up to it.
"Don't think, feel" (「頭で考えるな。心で感じろ」)
Pages 195 - 198
Ms. Matsumoto tells her students “Don’t think, feel.” A classroom ban on note taking forces students to really live in the moment.
Pages 199 - 202
In Ms. Matsumoto class, she stresses the importance of conveying a character’s emotion over trying to put on a character voice. Understanding the project as a whole and how that character fits into this world helps prevent actors’ performances from sounding artificial.
If you give it your all from a place of love then your scene partner will do the same (こちらが愛をもって本気で向き合うと、相手も本気になる)
Pages 202 - 204
In order to prepare students for the harsh realities of show business Ms. Matsumoto has to sometimes be harsh. In her experience, her acting partners deliver better performances when she stops making excuses and starts really giving it her all.
If I give advice I want to see how it pans out (アドバイスするからには、最後まで見届けたい)
Pages 204 - 206
For Ms. Matsumoto, getting her students to think for themselves is more important than getting them to just do whatever they’re told. Sometimes letting students figure out how to fix their own mistakes is the best way to help them.
If you don't know what to do it's better to go with the harder choice (迷ったら難しいほうをやるべき)
Pages 207 - 209
When given the choice between a part a student thinks he can do and one he doesn’t, Ms. Matsumoto recommends trying the latter. Realizing a part was harder than one initially thought is an important part of growing as an actor.
Pages 210 - 213
In the modern age, opportunities for voice actors to participate in all sorts of different media continue to grow. Ms. Matsumoto aims to increase the popularity of the voice acting business and to show off all the amazing talent it has at its fingertips.
Pages 216 - 219
Ms. Matsumoto starts her series of looking back on some of her more long running roles by reminiscing about playing Kelly Taylor for ten years in the Japanese dub of Beverly Hills, 90210. A particularly dramatic performance in one episode causes her mother to worry.
You can put yourself in someone else's shoes (違う誰かの人生を疑似体験できる)
Pages 219 - 223
Playing Kelly for ten years requires Ms. Matsumoto to study actress Jennie Garth’s speaking rhythm, breathing style, tics, etc. to bring Kelly to life for the Japanese dub. Ms. Matsumoto gets the chance to meet Ms. Garth herself at an event toward the end of the show’s run.
Playing Patricia Arquette for over 30 years (30年以上演じる、パトリシア・アークエット)
Pages 224 - 229
Rica Matsumoto has been the Japanese dub voice for actress Patricia Arquette ever since 1993’s True Romance. Through other Arquette projects like the TV show Medium and the movie Boyhood, Ms. Matsumoto is able to find a bit of herself in all the roles she gets to play.
Pages 230 - 233
After 26 years, Satoshi’s run as the main character of the Pocket Monsters comes to an end. Emotions run high as Ms. Matsumoto prepares to record the character's final lines.
Pages 234 - 239
Ms. Matsumoto is often asked how she’s managed to keep her vocal quality consistent these last 30 years. A daily routine that emphasizes taking her time and not rushing through anything end up playing the biggest role in her maintaining her voice.
Pages 240 - 243
In late 2023 Rica Matsumoto goes to Brazil to perform as a “Cool Japan Ambassador.” A series of misunderstandings and technical difficulties give Ms. Matsumoto a fresh outlook on performing.
The boy who traveled 1,000 kilometers to see me (1000キロメートルかけて会いに来てくれた男の子)
Pages 243 - 247
After the concert in Brazil, Rica Matsumoto meets a teenage Pocket Monsters fan who traveled 1,000 kilometers, despite suffering from an incurable disease, just to see her. The fact that her music reaches all corners of the Earth regardless of country, language, race, etc. fills Ms. Matsumoto with a renewed sense of purpose.
Pages 248 - 251
Rica Matsumoto meets another young fan with an incurable disease, this time in Japan, whose rosy outlook on life gives her strength. Ms. Matsumoto believes that passing on smiles from one person to another is extremely important.
Pages 252 - 255
Rica Matsumoto’s desire to learn more Japan as a “Cool Japan Ambassador” leads her to forming a group with three other musicians called MATSURICA. The group reimagines Rica Matsumoto songs like Mezase Pokémon Master and Alive A life into old timey Japanese songs, giving them a fresh, new feeling.
Pages 256 - 259
Ms. Matsumoto’s goals for the future include getting better at English and singing at the Paralympics. Moving forward, Ms. Matsumoto vows to work hard to return the love that’s been given to her and to spread happiness all over the world. “I’ll get everyone’s smiles!”
The last part of the book is a collection of essays by various people who have worked with Ms. Matsumoto over the years.
Yuki Kaji (梶 裕貴), Pages 262 - 263
Voice actor who portrayed Citron in the Pocket Monsters XY TV series from 2013 - 2016.
Koichi Yamadera (山寺宏一), Pages 264 - 265
Voice actor and long-time friend of Rica Matsumoto.
Hideaki Takatori (高取ヒデアキ), Pages 266 - 267
Well known anison singer, songwriter, and composer.
Ryota Kikuchi (菊池亮太), Pages 268 - 269
Pianist, Keyboardist, songwriter, and composer who met Rica Matsumoto at a charity concert for the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
Keiko Terada (寺田恵子), Pages 270 - 271
Co-founder and lead singer of the hard rock and heavy metal band Show-Ya.
Michiru Egashira (江頭美智留), Pages 272 - 273
Screenplay author who wrote a play Ms. Matsumoto joined in 2021.
Kunihiko Yuyama (湯山邦彦), Pages 274 - 275
Director of the majority of the Pocket Monsters movies.
Hideki Sonoda (園田英樹), Pages 276 - 283
Screenplay writer who penned a lot of the Pocket Monsters films as well as a number of the plays Ms. Matsumoto's been in.
Pages 284 - 285
Ms. Matsumoto thanks everyone for reading her book and explains how its title, Rafu & Piisu, can be interpreted any number of ways.
On May 3rd, 2024 , Japanese publisher Takarajimasha released the book Rica Matsumoto Essays: Laugh and Peace (松本梨香エッセイ 「ラフ＆ピース」) in Japan. The book is a collection of short essays written by voice actor / singer / stage actor Rica Matsumoto, who most Pocket Monsters fans will know as the voice of Satoshi from 1997 to 2023. Each essay has a theme, and Ms. Matsumoto uses the experiences she's had in her own life to help illustrate those themes.
Below is a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the book that includes chapter titles and brief descriptions. Translations to the Pokémon related chapters may be added in the future.
| Chapter
One: Love (愛する) |
| Chapter
1-1: Good always wins! (正義は勝つ！) |
Pages 26 - 34
Rica Matsumoto walks us through her household makeup (mother, father, maternal grandparents, older sister, and older brother) and tells us about growing up in Yokohama. A love of after school sports activities helps the young Matsumoto burn off excess energy.
As dad liked to say, "The performing arts will save you" (「芸は身を助ける」という父の教え)
Pages 35 - 38
As a child, Ms. Matsumoto studied many different things including musical instruments, dance, and various forms of Japanese art. What starts out as playing around on a home karaoke machine soon turns into serious singing practice.
How dare you pick on my big bro! (あんちゃんをいじめるやつは許さない！)
Pages 38 - 42
Rica stands up to a girl and her older sister for bullying her brother with special needs. Winning the David vs Goliath encounter proves to Rica that good always triumphs over evil.
| Chapter
1-2: Mom: Larger than life and bright like the sun (大らかで明るかった、たいよみたいな母) |
Pages 43 - 49
Rica Matsumoto thinks back on her mother and how she used her cooking to create a warm and inviting place in the neighborhood. A kimono found after her mother’s passing inspires Ms. Matsumoto to commission a recreation of the garment for a show in China.
| Chapter
1-3: Strict about etiquette and acting (礼儀作法や芸のことには厳しかった) |
Pages 50 - 57
Rica remembers her father, the head of a famous acting troupe. At the age of 17, Rica starts studying under him and soon learns he has no intention of going easy on her just because they're related.
Dad: An entertainer to the end (最期までエンターテイナーだった父)
Pages 57 - 61
Rica remembers her father and how he was always striving to entertain, even on his deathbed. Rica continues appearing in stage plays even after her father's passing.
My older sister: a person of strong character who's like a second mother (しっかり者で、お母さんのような姉)
Pages 61 - 66
Reminiscing about how her older sister was like a second mother to her prompts Ms. Matsumoto to realize just how big a role the family matriarch played in all of their lives. Her sister’s request to be alone after their mother’s passing shows just how much her sister endured for the sake of her siblings.
| Chapter
1-4: The path from the precipice of life to my debut as a voice actor
(人生の崖っぷちから声優デビューまでの道のり) |
Pages 67 - 68
Rica’s high school teachers push her to pursue a career in acting rather than her first choice of being a P.E. teacher. After entering acting school Ms. Matsumoto meets an upperclassman named Koichi Yamadera.
The abrupt goodbye to my big bro (あんちゃんとの突然の別れ)
Pages 69 - 73
The sudden death of Rica’s brother sends shockwaves through the up-and-coming actor. Rica herself is hospitalized a short while later with a bad case of tuberculosis.
A new path found while in the face of death (人生の歧路に立ったときに見つけた新しい道)
Pages 74 - 82
During her half a year in the hospital Rica begins to think about going from stage acting to voice acting. Ms. Matsumoto eventually makes her voice acting debut in the show Shin Osomatsu-kun.
| Chapter
1-5: I want to help those in need (困っている人の力になりたい) |
Pages 83 - 86
Rica Matsumoto makes an effort to help people whenever they appear to need it. A mother dealing with a crying baby on a bus provides Ms. Matsumoto with the perfect opportunity to fulfill this desire.
Isn't there anything I can do for children who are lonely? (寂しい子どもたちにしてあげられることはないか)
Pages 86 - 91
Stories about children being lonely because their single parents always work late prompts Rica to come out with a children's book. Yumeraccho! is eventually written, illustrated, sung, and narrated by Rica Matsumoto, all by herself.
| Chapter
1-6: I want to brighten people's day with the "Manmaru Project"
(「まんまるプロジェクト」で元気を届けたい) |
Pages 92 - 105
In 2010 Rica Matsumoto starts up a charity called the “Manmaru Project” to help deliver smiles to people in need. A chance encounter with a dog named Manru provides the project with a fitting mascot.
| Chapter
Two: Act (演じる) |
| Chapter
2-1: Birth of a new voice actor (新人声優の誕生) |
Pages 108 - 113
On her very first day as a voice actor for Shin Osomatsu-kun, Rica gets a hard lesson on the differences between stage acting and voice acting. Her skill at ad-libbing lines enables her to give her role as Choromatsu a uniqueness that earns her praise from her new colleagues.
Taking voice acting as a job seriously for the first time (初めて声優という職業に真剣に向き合った)
Pages 113 - 117
While playing the lead role in Matchless Raijin-Oh, Rica Matsumoto struggles with whether or not she should take on other leading roles. The voice director of The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn, Koichi Chiba, gives Ms. Matsumoto advice that keeps her motivated to continue doing her best.
I felt like I was taken seriously as a leading voice actor (一丁前の声優になったと認められた気がした)
Pages 118 - 120
Rica Matsumoto gets a job on the 1995 series Ninku. The director likes the performance she gives during a sad scene so much that he makes the surprising decision to have his staff animate around Rica’s performance rather than have her do a retake.
Memories of retakes (リテイクの思い出)
Pages 120 - 121
Rica Matsumoto gets scolded during a recording session for Yu Yu Hakusho.
Taking on Bakura from You Inoue (井上瑤さんからのバクラのバトン)
Pages 121 - 123
Rica Matsumoto inherits the role of Rio Bakura in Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters after the death of his first voice actor, You Inoue. Bakura’s intensity puts a strain on Ms. Matsumoto’s vocal cords.
| Chapter
2-2: Meeting Satoshi (サトシとの出会い) |
Pages 124-128
After Rica Matsumoto got the role of Satoshi in the Pocket Monsters animated series she was allowed to more or less be herself in the recording booth. A special pre-showing of the series’ first episode floods Ms. Matsumoto with all sorts of emotions.
Going double platinum (ダブルミリオンを達成)
Pages 128 - 131
The opening theme to the Pocket Monsters TV series, “Mezase Pokémon Master,” ends up selling over two million copies. Despite not making any royalties from the song Ms. Matsumoto is happy to have been such an integral part of a song loved by so many people.
Do it for the children affected by the Pokémon Shock (ポケモンショックで不安な子どもたたのために)
Pages 132 - 134
The airing of Pocket Monsters Episode 38 “Cyber Soldier Porygon” puts the show on a four month hiatus. During the break Ms. Matsumoto tries to persuade concert attendees not to forget about the adventures of Satoshi and Pikachu.
| Chapter
2-3: It's not dubbing, it's "making the Japanese version"
(アフレコじゃなくて「日本語版を作る」) |
Pages 135 - 139
In addition to domestic cartoons, Rica Matsumoto starts to make a name for herself doing voice over work for foreign productions as well. Ms. Matsumoto becomes enthralled with the movie The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc and successfully campaigns to play Milla Jovovich’s part.
With dubbing, you can become characters from all walks of life (吹き替えは、さまざまな国のさまざまな人物になれる)
Pages 139 - 145
Rica Matsumoto reflects on dubbing over some of the most well respected actors in Hollywood for the Japanese dubs of foreign films.
Delivering lines as the "Soul of Language" (「言霊」として届ける)
Pages 145 - 147
Whenever Ms. Matsumoto gets scripts with the words “thank you” in them she looks up to heaven and focuses those words on her family. A scene during her run in the show Les Miserables leaves her soul feeling cleansed.
| Chapter
2-4: Every job has a purpose (仕事にすべて意味ある) |
Pages 148 - 152
Ms. Matsumoto’s band mates encourage her to take the sadness from her mother’s death and channel that into new song lyrics. Using her real life sadness in her performance in The Juniper Tree or her real life common cold during a Ninku recording session show Ms. Matsumoto that every job can be an opportunity.
I have a loud voice that's even broken mics before... (声量が大きて、マイクが壊れたことも)
Pages 152 - 155
Ms. Matsumoto’s inability to give less than 100%, even during mic tests, puts a lot of stress on her vocal cords. The sound team forgetting to turn on her mic during a performance of Galaxy Express 999 The Musical means little as Ms. Matsumoto was able to project enough to be heard from the back rows.
| Chapter
2-5: Sometimes you just need to butt heads (ときにはぶつかるこただって必要) |
Pages 156 - 159
A fight with writer Hideki Sonoda breaks out after Ms. Matsumoto is thought to have ad-libbed a bit too much. Ms. Matsumoto reflects on how sometimes having conflict with others can help make whatever it is you’re working on that much better.
| Chapter
2-6: The stage is a place for fun, and scripts are the tools you use in
that fun (舞台は遊び場、台本は遊び道具) |
Pages 160 - 163
Ms. Matsumoto’s father had a saying, “The stage is a place for fun, and scripts are the tools you use in that fun.” The new paper smell emanating from a freshly printed script fills the actor with excitement about what’s coming next.
| Chapter
Three: Connect (つながる) |
| Chapter
3-1: "Puns will bring about world peace," Step One
(「ダジャレは世界平和」の第一歩) |
Pages 166 - 169
Ms. Matsumoto loves to use puns to help break the ice with her younger co-workers. An ad-lib of a pun in an episode of Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger is well received.
| Chapter
3-2: Veterans whose nosiness comes from a place of love
(おせっかい焼きで愛があった先輩たち) |
Pages 170 - 173
The reduction in the frequency of after work events ever since COVID hit has also reduced the number of opportunities younger actors have to be able to learn from their elders. Ms. Matsumoto receives the gift of a recipe for a magic elixir that can restore your voice.
| Chapter
3-3: Memories of JAM Project (JAM Project の思い出) |
Pages 174 - 176
In the year 2000 Rica Matsumoto, Ichiro Mizuki, and Hironobu Kageyama found the Japan Animation-song Makers (JAM) Project super group. As the years go by Ms. Matsumoto starts to realize just how popular anime theme songs are becoming overseas.
The quick change disaster at the concert (ライブ中の早着替えでハプニング)
Pages 176 - 181
During a JAM Project performance Ms. Matsumoto runs backstage for a quick costume change at the wrong time, making her miss the intro to the next song in the lineup. Ms. Matsumoto loves the unpredictability live shows provide.
| Chapter
3-4: Hired as the ambassador of the Yokohama-bashi Shopping
Arcade! (横浜橋通商店街のアンバサダーに就任！) |
Pages 182 - 184
Ms. Matsumoto grew up near a shopping arcade and so she and her classmates would walk through it on their way to school everyday, greeting the various shopkeepers as they passed through. The friendly atmosphere and variety of shops offer Ms. Matsumoto a ton of valuable memories.
Put in charge of making the new theme song for the shopping arcade (商店街の新しいテーマソングを担当)
Pages 184 - 189
In February 2024 Ms. Matsumoto is put in charge of creating a new theme song for the shopping arcade, the first one commissioned for it in nearly 40 years! Ms. Matsumoto hopes younger generations will cherish the human to human interactions you can only get from shopping in person.
| Chapter
Four: "Express" (伝える) |
| Chapter
4-1: "The Rica Matsumoto Class," the class without textbooks or
resumes (教科書やレジュメのない「松本梨香クラス」) |
Pages 192 - 195
Ms. Matsumoto teaches a “Rica Matsumoto Class” at Yoyogi Animation Academy where she helps wannabe actors develop the skills they need to succeed in the industry. One of the first assignments she gives students is to write their own play from the ground up so that they can develop a better understanding of not just the acting jobs they’ll have to do, but also of everything else that leads up to it.
"Don't think, feel" (「頭で考えるな。心で感じろ」)
Pages 195 - 198
Ms. Matsumoto tells her students “Don’t think, feel.” A classroom ban on note taking forces students to really live in the moment.
| Chapter
4-2: Show, don't tell (教えるのではなく、伝える) |
Pages 199 - 202
In Ms. Matsumoto class, she stresses the importance of conveying a character’s emotion over trying to put on a character voice. Understanding the project as a whole and how that character fits into this world helps prevent actors’ performances from sounding artificial.
If you give it your all from a place of love then your scene partner will do the same (こちらが愛をもって本気で向き合うと、相手も本気になる)
Pages 202 - 204
In order to prepare students for the harsh realities of show business Ms. Matsumoto has to sometimes be harsh. In her experience, her acting partners deliver better performances when she stops making excuses and starts really giving it her all.
If I give advice I want to see how it pans out (アドバイスするからには、最後まで見届けたい)
Pages 204 - 206
For Ms. Matsumoto, getting her students to think for themselves is more important than getting them to just do whatever they’re told. Sometimes letting students figure out how to fix their own mistakes is the best way to help them.
If you don't know what to do it's better to go with the harder choice (迷ったら難しいほうをやるべき)
Pages 207 - 209
When given the choice between a part a student thinks he can do and one he doesn’t, Ms. Matsumoto recommends trying the latter. Realizing a part was harder than one initially thought is an important part of growing as an actor.
| Chapter
4-3: I want to raise the popularity of the voice acting industry
(声優業界の人気を底上げしたい) |
Pages 210 - 213
In the modern age, opportunities for voice actors to participate in all sorts of different media continue to grow. Ms. Matsumoto aims to increase the popularity of the voice acting business and to show off all the amazing talent it has at its fingertips.
| Chapter
Five: "Continue" (続ける) |
| Chapter
5-1: The joys and thrills of long running roles
(長く続けるうえでの喜びと醍醐味) |
Pages 216 - 219
Ms. Matsumoto starts her series of looking back on some of her more long running roles by reminiscing about playing Kelly Taylor for ten years in the Japanese dub of Beverly Hills, 90210. A particularly dramatic performance in one episode causes her mother to worry.
You can put yourself in someone else's shoes (違う誰かの人生を疑似体験できる)
Pages 219 - 223
Playing Kelly for ten years requires Ms. Matsumoto to study actress Jennie Garth’s speaking rhythm, breathing style, tics, etc. to bring Kelly to life for the Japanese dub. Ms. Matsumoto gets the chance to meet Ms. Garth herself at an event toward the end of the show’s run.
Playing Patricia Arquette for over 30 years (30年以上演じる、パトリシア・アークエット)
Pages 224 - 229
Rica Matsumoto has been the Japanese dub voice for actress Patricia Arquette ever since 1993’s True Romance. Through other Arquette projects like the TV show Medium and the movie Boyhood, Ms. Matsumoto is able to find a bit of herself in all the roles she gets to play.
| Chapter
5-2: Graduating from the role of Satoshi (サトシ役からの卒業) |
Pages 230 - 233
After 26 years, Satoshi’s run as the main character of the Pocket Monsters comes to an end. Emotions run high as Ms. Matsumoto prepares to record the character's final lines.
| Chapter
5-3: The best things you can do for your voice is to not let
stress pile up and get plenty of sleep! (喉のためにはストレスをためない、寝るのがいちばん！) |
Pages 234 - 239
Ms. Matsumoto is often asked how she’s managed to keep her vocal quality consistent these last 30 years. A daily routine that emphasizes taking her time and not rushing through anything end up playing the biggest role in her maintaining her voice.
| Chapter
5-4: A meeting at a show in Brazil where everything went wrong
(ハプニング続きのブラジル公演での出会い) |
Pages 240 - 243
In late 2023 Rica Matsumoto goes to Brazil to perform as a “Cool Japan Ambassador.” A series of misunderstandings and technical difficulties give Ms. Matsumoto a fresh outlook on performing.
The boy who traveled 1,000 kilometers to see me (1000キロメートルかけて会いに来てくれた男の子)
Pages 243 - 247
After the concert in Brazil, Rica Matsumoto meets a teenage Pocket Monsters fan who traveled 1,000 kilometers, despite suffering from an incurable disease, just to see her. The fact that her music reaches all corners of the Earth regardless of country, language, race, etc. fills Ms. Matsumoto with a renewed sense of purpose.
| Chapter
5-5: I want to continue down the path of smiles (笑顔のパスを続けていきたい) |
Pages 248 - 251
Rica Matsumoto meets another young fan with an incurable disease, this time in Japan, whose rosy outlook on life gives her strength. Ms. Matsumoto believes that passing on smiles from one person to another is extremely important.
| Chapter
5-6: Activities as the group MATSURICA (祭火 (MATSURICA) としての活動) |
Pages 252 - 255
Rica Matsumoto’s desire to learn more Japan as a “Cool Japan Ambassador” leads her to forming a group with three other musicians called MATSURICA. The group reimagines Rica Matsumoto songs like Mezase Pokémon Master and Alive A life into old timey Japanese songs, giving them a fresh, new feeling.
| Chapter
5-7: My dream is to sing the national anthem at the Paralympics
(パラリンピックで国歌斉唱するのが夢) |
Pages 256 - 259
Ms. Matsumoto’s goals for the future include getting better at English and singing at the Paralympics. Moving forward, Ms. Matsumoto vows to work hard to return the love that’s been given to her and to spread happiness all over the world. “I’ll get everyone’s smiles!”
| Special Contents
Message to Rica
Matsumoto |
The last part of the book is a collection of essays by various people who have worked with Ms. Matsumoto over the years.
Yuki Kaji (梶 裕貴), Pages 262 - 263
Voice actor who portrayed Citron in the Pocket Monsters XY TV series from 2013 - 2016.
Koichi Yamadera (山寺宏一), Pages 264 - 265
Voice actor and long-time friend of Rica Matsumoto.
Hideaki Takatori (高取ヒデアキ), Pages 266 - 267
Well known anison singer, songwriter, and composer.
Ryota Kikuchi (菊池亮太), Pages 268 - 269
Pianist, Keyboardist, songwriter, and composer who met Rica Matsumoto at a charity concert for the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
Keiko Terada (寺田恵子), Pages 270 - 271
Co-founder and lead singer of the hard rock and heavy metal band Show-Ya.
Michiru Egashira (江頭美智留), Pages 272 - 273
Screenplay author who wrote a play Ms. Matsumoto joined in 2021.
Kunihiko Yuyama (湯山邦彦), Pages 274 - 275
Director of the majority of the Pocket Monsters movies.
Hideki Sonoda (園田英樹), Pages 276 - 283
Screenplay writer who penned a lot of the Pocket Monsters films as well as a number of the plays Ms. Matsumoto's been in.
| The End (おわりに) |
Pages 284 - 285
Ms. Matsumoto thanks everyone for reading her book and explains how its title, Rafu & Piisu, can be interpreted any number of ways.
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